Seeding machines, such as various singulating and volumetric, air and gravity-fed, seeders may be used for planting seeds. For example, seeds from a supply hopper may be delivered to seed meters associated with individual planting units. Each seed meter may meter seed through a seed tube. A furrow opener of the planting unit may create a seed furrow immediately in front of the end of the seed tube. A seed boot may be attached to the seed tube to direct the seed into the seed furrow, which may be closed by a furrow closing wheel of the planting unit.
Proper placement of the seeds within the furrow is important to better ensure high crop yield, this includes proper spacing of the seeds within the furrow as well as retention of the seeds within the furrow and proper coverage of the seeds by the ground after the furrow is closed. The process of dispensing the seeds may cause the seeds to be displaced from the bottom of the furrow for various reasons, including due to seed bounce in which seeds that have been deposited within the furrow bound out of the furrow after contacting the ground and before the furrow is closed by the trailing closing wheel. Flexible seed tabs (or flaps) have been attached at the outlet ends of the seed boots to act as a deflector to redirect seeds downward and reduce seed loss from seed bounce and the like. Generally, seed tabs are prone to wear and breakage from contact with the ground as well as deterioration from UV light.